Ayrton Senna, Formula 1 legend, passed away on 1 May 1994 after an accident on the Imola circuit
«Nothing can separate me from the love of God» (“Nothing can separate me from the love of God”) is what is written on his tombstone at the Morumbi cemetery in Brazil. It may seem like a paradox to start from the end, but the phrase on Ayrton Senna’s tomb is the best starting point for rediscovering his legend. The South American driver was not only a Formula 1 champion, but also a champion beyond sport. His tragic death on May 1, 1994 in Imola was shocking not only for the Brazilian people but for the entire world. After all, if thirty years later the memory of him is more vivid than ever, it means that the fascination for a racing phenomenon so different from his colleagues has remained intact. Retracing his footsteps is truly amazing. Among the many upcoming books, that of the journalist Giulia Toninelli Ayrton Senna. Fierce eyes, childish eyes (Lab DFG, 192 pages, 18 euros, preface by the pilot Andrea Kimi Antonelli) can be read in one go. As exciting as a novel, it takes us back to the first steps of little Ayrton, born in Sao Paulo on 21 March 1960 to Milton Da Silva and Neide Senna (he always wanted to keep his mother’s surname). And to say that until he was three years old he worried his parents quite a bit because he wasn’t growing: a slow and rocking gait that also earned him the nickname “Beco”. His turning point at four years old when he was already bursting with energy and put his hands on a steering wheel for the first time: a small kart built by his father. His epic began then, the child obsessed with speed went on to win three world titles in ten years of Formula 1.
A man of great charisma, but ready to recognize his weaknesses. The love for his family, difficult loves and the affection of his people have marked his existence. He felt privileged, the son of a wealthy family in an environment where you just had to turn the corner to experience poverty first-hand. This is why he secretly gave to those in need. A legacy collected by the Ayrton Senna Institute which has already helped over 34 million students. However, if there is something that can never be said enough and that amazes anyone who intends to delve into the biography of the Brazilian ace, it is his spirituality. Manish Pandey, writer and producer of the touching 2010 documentary film “Seine” by Asif Kospadia: «Ayrton was a devout Catholic. Which none of us agreed with, neither Asif (Muslim), nor James, the other producer (Christian) nor me (Hindu). Yet we felt deeply that Ayrton’s story would be incomplete without this monumental pillar of his life: a pillar on which he stood that was often misunderstood and used as a club to defeat him by cynical opponents and the press… What hurt him most the more were the stinging criticisms that because he believed in God it somehow made him invulnerable or immortal.”
A faith that is not ostentatious but never hidden, matured on the track: however not in successes but in failures. Like in Monaco in 1988 when he threw away the victory due to a trivial mistake. It was precisely on that occasion that he felt touched from above: «It wasn’t just a driving error. The accident was just a sign that God was there waiting for me to give me his hand.” A Presence that he also recognized at the end of the straight in Suzuka when he became world champion for the first time: «I saw God. An indescribable sensation». On May 1, 1994, Senna no longer wanted to race, the death of Ratzenberger the day before on that same track had shaken him. That last morning, however, he woke up and, opening the Bible at random as he often did, he read a text – his sister Viviane later explained – in which he understood “that he would receive the greatest gift of all: God himself”. He therefore went to meet Destiny with the awareness of someone who still feels safe. A note was found inside his suit after his death. It was written: “No one can take away the love that God has for me.”
